


Fortitude In Fear

by bluepulsebluepulse



Category: Batman: The Animated Series, DCU (Comics), The New Adventures of Batman & Robin, Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice (Comics), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bluepulse, I have the idea in my brain, Just gots to write it, M/M, New Fic, No Spoilers, Speedbuggy, When I Get To Writing It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:34:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23069317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluepulsebluepulse/pseuds/bluepulsebluepulse
Summary: Batman goes missing, and Bart and Jaime go investigating.
Relationships: Bart Allen/Jaime Reyes
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	Fortitude In Fear

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PaintingWithDarkness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaintingWithDarkness/gifts), [HowAccurateToMyLife](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=HowAccurateToMyLife).



> Just a brand new fic. Keeping spoilers under wraps with character tags, etc.

These were dark times. Even Summer Gleeson’s iron will to remain upbeat during the news reports was worn down. During the toughest of times seen by Gotham, she could still deliver news in that oddly reassuring way, as if Batman would make it all better. But he hadn’t. And couldn’t.

The masked vigilante was no longer in Gotham. In fact, no one had seen or heard from the caped crusader. Not in over a week. By now it had been well established he was missing and not even the Justice League had been able to locate the legendary human. The concern was weighing heavily on the Justice League and their more-often-than-not bruised knuckles were indicative of the fact. It probably had come at a time when fear was needed. Crime had only spiked in his absence forcing other superheroes to step in and try to clean up Gotham.

“Tonight marks the beginning of a third week where Batman’s whereabouts remain unknown.” Summer swallowed and felt the heat in her eyes. Adjusting the stack of perfectly-readable papers in her hands, she soldiered on, “Commissioner Gordon has urged anyone with any information to come forward. In the Batman’s absence, the Gotham Police Department has increased the number of officers on Patrol to compensate for the increase in crime-”

The television went black like the soul of Gotham. Like the cowl and cape of the missing, chastising leader of the League.

“This is ridiculous!” Bart’s hands flailed for a moment before falling out of the sky like a blind bird.

“Calm down carino.” Jaime’s soothing voice was paired with soft hands that snaked over Bart’s shoulders.

“I’m just worried about B-man.” Bart looked up at the eyes behind the lips that had kissed his forehead, “How has nobody found him yet?”

Jaime chose to sit down beside his boyfriend, “The League is looking for him. And they  _ won’t  _ give up. You know that just as well as I do.”

“I know. But what if he’s… You know…” Bart couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Jaime looked away knowing exactly what the speedster was implying, “Scarab doesn’t think it’s likely.”

Bart looked up in thought and hoped the sentient scarab was correct. But why had no one made a ransom yet? It just made no sense. Jaime gave his stressed boyfriend an affection gaze, almost as if he was reading Bart’s mind. The speedster felt spectacularly transparent.

“He was one of my idols growing up. And it’s not just me! Barry is one of his best friends! They’re from the original seven!” Bart’s voice had risen to further justify his statements, but Jaime didn’t need convincing.

“I know amorcito. Look, we can offer to help clean up Gotham if it would make you feel better?” Jaime’s stomach sizzled in waves feeling super uncomfortable about the proposition.

“Really?” Bart’s eyes roamed the room as more ideas flooded in.

Jaime hid all signs of knowing Bart likely had an ulterior motive, “Si.”

Bart stood up and flickered, having left the room only to return in full uniform.

“What? Are we going right now?” Jaime gawked at his prepared partner.

“Why not? We are sitting around when a city is in need.” Bart’s hands on his hips only made the statement even more profound.

Jaime sighed. He hated Gotham. He was especially concerned about running into the joker. News reports of his latest unhinged activities were an obvious scream for attention. He was acting out in the absence of the man he loved most in the most twisted way anyone ever could. It made Jaime shudder. The last thing he wanted Bart to suffer from, was anymore traumatic flashbacks. And that seemed to be the Joker’s brand, jarring people for life.

“Okay, but we stick together!” Jaime pointed a bare finger at his boyfriend as armor rained down from his head, eventually covering it.

Bart grinned and zipped across the room into a self-initiated embrace with Jaime, “Sticking together!”

Jaime’s disdain for the joke dripped from the fanning of his frown.

The pair took off towards the nearest Zeta tube, listening to the telltale whirring of the platform as the parted from El Paso and officially entered Gotham.

The difference in atmosphere was immediately apparent, like a fist to the face. The sky was dark with depression. It was tired from all the crimes it was forced to bear witness too. The buildings were in ruins, from fights with Gotham Rogues. Constructions workers weren’t in an all mighty hurry to reconstruct buildings in a city such as theirs. For more than one reason. The air was damp and dire. There was a feeling or urgency in the atmosphere, as if screaming at you to hide. Even as superheroes, both men were feeling compelled in their guts to listen to the whispering within. But they had a job to do, and they couldn’t hide.

“Where do we even begin-”

“Hands up freaks! Give me all your money!” A ski-mask was doing a poor job at hiding the facial features of a greedy crook. However the nearby lamp post - signed by every delinquent who fancied themself an artist in Gotham - was providing enough light to show the outline of a handgun aimed at their chests.

Jaime rolled his eyes and allowed Khaji Da to staple gun the man to the wall before he had even known what had hit him. Jaime picked up the gun and crushed it in his hands to prevent it from causing any harm in the future.

“Dios, odio este lugar.” Jaime murmured to himself in the hopes Bart wouldn’t hear and feel guilty for their presence in the city. Although, that being said, there was a part of him that wanted Bart to hear so that hopefully they would never have to return to Gotham in the future. He was more than content to leave this part of the woods to Superman. Crime in Gotham was like weeds. Not even Batman, the most professional weed-killer around, could keep the Gotham rogues at bay. Superman was certainly a great extinguisher of crime, but not even he could stamp out all of the fires.

Jaime heard gun fire and watched as Bart ran in front of him plucking bullets out of the air. It turned out the goon had a gang. Bart was boiling with rage now. He had a short fuse when it came to people trying to kill Jaime. The usually friendly speedster took the crooks down brutally. Jaime almost had to wonder whether it was Gotham itself. Because he had felt the urge to take down that first criminal with more force than necessary upon arriving too. It certainly would explain a lot about Batman.

“Let’s tie them up and take them to the police.” Jaime groaned watching on.

They had been in the city not more than five minutes and they already had an unpleasant chore ahead of them. They had even broken the record in managing to obtain chores even faster than when the pair had been caught sneaking into Jaime’s room, under the roof of one Bianca Reyes.

“Done.” Bart brushed his hands looking unsettled. Jaime didn’t like seeing Bart unhappy.

“Can we try to go searching for clues or something? I mean he was last seen in Gotham?” Bart’s motivations for coming to Gotham were becoming clearer.

“I thought we came here to help?” Jaime outright lied. He knew his boyfriend too well but thought he would see what reaction he could gather.

Bart looked at him knowingly. The jig was up, “I mean we can. But I want to try and find him. Gotham needs him. The League needs him. We all do.”

“But what can we do that Superman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the league hasn’t tried?” Jaime gestured hopelessly, “He probably isn’t in Gotham, it’s like the most obvious place to keep him? Even Barry did a quick search and didn’t find anything!” Jaime wasn’t angry with Bart, he had seen this coming. The speedster was a caring guy, it was one of the things Jaime loved about him.

“Whoever did this was smart. They are probably hiding in plain sight. Wherever they are keeping him, they must have used a place with lead lining to hide him from Superman.” Bart began pacing as he began thinking aloud utilizing detective skills most impressive to Jaime.

“You’ve got to stop spending time with Tim.” Jaime tried to crack a joke to lighten the mood.

Bart stopped pacing. “I feel stupid for even trying. If Tim, Dick and Barbara can’t even find him, why am I trying?” His shoulders slumped so that his fingertips were closer to the potholes in the asphalt.

Jaime had not been expecting him to give up so quickly. Against the opportunity he could have taken to edge Bart into solidifying his stance on giving up, Jaime decided to be a supportive boyfriend. There was nothing more motivating than trying to put a genuine smile on Bart’s face after seeing a heart-shattering, sad frown.

“We’re going to find him okay? You and me. And scarab is going to help! We’re going to do this!” Jaime was out of ideas and hoped that his scarab could somehow provide the pair with answers that not even the Bat-family could find (even though that was super unlikely).

Bart looked up optimistically with hope as the scarab’s tone jumped into Jaime’s mind completely contrasted, “Jaime Reyes. I can try to help you locate the Batman, but the probability of success is extremely low. The Bart Allen is correct in saying that the Robin, Nightwing and Oracle are the best candidates for locating the Batman.”

Jaime used some of his remaining supportive energy to talk the scarab into at least trying to help them. For now, that was all that he could do.

**Author's Note:**

> I might continue it later? If I feel like it? Feeling angsty in my life, hence this fic... Hope y'all enjoyed it tho.


End file.
